Microsoft's Botnet Takedown Campaign: 10 Reasons It Keeps Doing It

5. Microsoft: Government partner?
Microsoft hasn’t always had the best relationship with the U.S. government, especially in the late-1990s, but the company’s recent successes at taking down botnets with the help of law enforcement officials seems to indicate that the software company is more of a government partner and good corporate citizen than ever before. It’s an interesting shift.
6. Think twice about that botnetMicrosoft’s botnet takedowns not only improve the Windows ecosystem, but also serve to disrupt plans malicious hackers might have for future exploits. After all, if botnet makers know that Microsoft is coming for them, do they really want to get into the business? Some might say no.

7. Is Android next?

Microsoft’s efforts might also push malicious hackers and other cyber-criminals to Google’s popular operating system, Android. For now, Android isn’t the most secure operating system in the world and droves of hackers are turning to it to take advantage of its security flaws. By fighting the good fight, Microsoft might be pushing hackers to the next frontier: Android.
8. It’s all a diversion
Although the headlines are great for Microsoft, and it likes to talk about the size of the botnets it has taken down, there’s a long, long road ahead of the company if it truly wants to make a difference. Botnets are still running rampant around the world. As much as Microsoft tries to make the world believe that things have changed, it’ll have to carry out many more takedowns before it significantly reduces the sheer volume of global botnet activity.
9. There’s a responsibility factor
Although Microsoft deserves accolades to some degree, isn’t it really the company’s responsibility to be taking down botnets? If Windows didn’t have so many flaws in the first place, the world wouldn’t have to deal with such a big botnet problem. It’s a hard pill to swallow, but it’s one that needs to be taken.
10. The fight isn’t going so well elsewhereBotnets aren’t necessarily easy to take down, but they appear to be easier targets for Microsoft than all of the malware that’s still roaming the Windows ecosystem. Earlier this month, security firm McAfee reported that PC malware samples increased by 28 percent compared to the first quarter of 2012. It now has a malware “zoo” of more than 120 million unique malware threats taking on Windows.
Follow Don Reisinger on Twitter by clicking here.